How Did The Great Depression Affect Families

About 95 years ago… an event that lasted ten years would forever affect the lives of many. This downfall was called “The Great Depression.” This title came from the actual economic decline in America. But this really had a negative impact on families. The birth,job,and income rates of that era went down dramatically. The Great Depression badly impacted average American family through ten years of economic downfall.

To be a child living in during “The Great Depression” was to live a very sad and tough life. But even before those children had to experience life they had to be born. But the average birth rate in these times fell from an average of three children per a woman, to about two children per a woman ( see bibliography # 4 ). Schooling
for children of the Great Depression was not a pleasant experience. One excerpt states, “"In 1931 North Carolina had 6,729 schools; almost one-fourth were buildings with only one room and only one teacher. These teachers taught all grade levels in a single classroom. Even though the number of students was often small, the teacher had to divide time among all the grades. It could be difficult for students to “tune out” the lessons of another class while trying to complete their own work. Teachers often found it hard to plan the day."( see bibliography # 2) This was a very hard learning environment for these student to endure. Nowadays, children have a very high quality of education and still find it hard to enjoy and focus on their school work. How hard was it for the children in those times to focus? The teachers even found some difficulty in planning their daily lessons. Also, with the whole school in one room, it was extremely hard for students to focus on their work and what their teacher was saying to them.( see bibliography # 2) During school in the Great Depression no lunch was sold because food was scarce and children instead brought food to school.Many children would bring little to no food because of supply and demand.Such as store bought bread was so expensive it was a luxury to have.( see bibliography # 2) But aside from all of the actually being in school… some kids could go, one excerpt states, "Before the 1930s, children of textile workers in North Carolina often quit school at an early age to work in the mills, earning money for their families." ( see bibliography # 2) During these times, people made so little money that they needed all the help they could get. So, more often than not, children had to help out in factories rather than be in school.

Marriage during the Depression was rare,people seemed too hopeless to get married. Marriage in the Great depression had a huge decline and divorce rates went down because of lack of money. This was not a good thing because it put a strain on the couples and their children. The marriage rates dropped severely as a source states ( see bibliography # 4) , “women in the post-World War II era (mid-1940s) and declined steadily for the next 30 years. Rates declined sharply in the mid- 1970s to 85 per 1,000 women." This meant less people were having kids,because in those days,marriage was to start a family and have kids. Also, during the Great Depression there was about 5-10 marriages per 1,000 people.( see bibliography # 6) But people rushed to get married as well,"Couples rushed to the altar before the wars started, as well as at their conclusion. As Olson notes, divorces also spiked after the conclusion of WWII, perhaps because some couples who had married rashly before the war realized their differences."( see bibliography # 6) Divorce is messy in any economy,but when you lose money you don’t have,that can end up in starvation and ultimately death. But as another excerpt states,”To be at risk for divorce, couples must first be married. Rates of first marriages have fluctuated dramatically over the past 70 years. In the 1920s, annual marriage rates were approximately 99 per 1,000 single women. Rates declined during the depression era (early 1930s) to 81 per 1,000 women. Marriage rates then rose to an all-time high of 143 per 1,000 women in the post-World War II era (mid-1940s) and declined steadily for the next 30 years. Rates declined sharply in the mid- 1970s to 85 per 1,000 women" ( see bibliography # 8). But aside from people having children,people had more financial stability in marriages,and that could be more helpful to the economy as a whole.

The economy fell during the depression and the people supporting their families at home were negatively affected.
The average income per household changed during the Depression, "The average income of the American family dropped by 40 percent from 1929 to 1932. Income fell from $2,300 to $1,500 per year"( see bibliography # 3). There is a saying that “money makes the world go round” and that means feed mouths,pay taxes,cloth your families,and buy houses.But aside from the amount of money actually earned,it was a struggle to get a job even, for example,"Average rate of unemployment in 1929: 3.2%in 1930: 8.9%in 1931: 16.3%in 1932: 24.1%in 1933: 24.9%in 1934: 21.7%in 1935: 20.1%in 1936: 16.9%in 1937: 14.3%in 1938: 19.0%in 1939: 17.2%3"( see bibliography # 5). Also, women had just recently won the right to vote,but many females were the breadwinners in their families rather than the men," married women working outside the home to help support their families. Black women especially found it easier to obtain work than their husbands, working as domestic servants, clerks, textiles workers and other occupations. This employment increased their status and power in the home, gaining them a new voice in domestic decisions." ( see bibliography # 4).The amount of people who voted declined as well,"Percentage of Eligible Voters Who Cast Ballots in General Elections in 1920: 43.5%in 1924: 43.9%in 1928: 51.9%in 1932: 52.5%in 1936: 57.0%in 1940: 59.2%in 1944: 52.9%" ( see bibliography #
5).Without an actual effort to make a difference in the society,the downfall was probably not helped by that factor. But the average income that Americans brought in was,"US Gross Domestic Product (current dollars)The Great Crash, 1929-1933 in 1929: $103.6 billion in 1930: $91.2in 1931: $76.5in 1932: $58.7in 1933: $56.4"( see bibliography # 5). The debt that America would have to be in to bail themselves out of their current debt affected everyone.

When your are a poor person living in poverty, starving, alone, and hopeless.
Your turn to the last possible way out. Death. During the Great Depression suicide rates went up along with death rates. To prove this point, a an article on Shmoop ( see bibliography # 5) states, "Average rate of death by suicide (per 100,000 population)1920-1928: 12.11929: 18.11930-1940: 15.4." Those numbers were very high, there was no experts that could help with people who dealt with severe depression. Although suicide rates rose severely there were other threats to people that caused death. For instance, "Cardiovascular and renal diseases (36.7%), cancer (8.6%), influenza and pneumonia (9.1%), tuberculosis (6.3%), motor vehicle traffic injuries (2.4%), and suicide (1.4%)" (see bibliography # 5). For some people living in a time with higher death rates was scary.But sadly,for some it was a relief they wouldn’t have to endure another day in this
life.

The impact the Great depression had on families that were in America at that time was very huge but some made it through that difficult era. Being in a functional family during the depression was quite rare.With the downfall in income, jobs,marriage,and birth, having a family was near impossible. Many couldn’t survive in this harsh and cruel time. The majority of people leadlead a truly happy life. But America somehow made it through this dark time.